As World Environment Day 2022 fast approaches, we thought we would take this time to showcase what we have implemented in our day-to-day operations to remain an environmentally responsible business. We are always striving for sustainability at every turn. We also have noted down some of our favourite tips and tricks that will expand the lifespan of your flowers after your bouquet has passed its best. Keep on reading!
Sustainable Steps : World Environment Day 2022
1) Sustainable Sourcing
We love love love local. When our founders created Bear’s Blooms in 2019, they wanted to ensure that sustainability was always an integral part of the business. The aim was to source locally and sustainably, this included everything from the flowers sold to the add on products from local businesses.
Why this is important to us;
- By sourcing locally, we can ensure that our flowers stay fresher for longer. This is because they haven’t been shipped thousands of miles or damaged during frequent handling.
- We get to support local communities by sourcing directly from local farmers. This also allows us to gain a deep understanding of the whole growth process from seed to stem or bud to bloom!
- It reduces our carbon footprint! By sourcing locally we are making a contribution towards reducing fuel consumption and air pollution (which we are super excited about).
2) Packaging
We pride ourselves on the fact that our packaging is recyclable. Everything from the boxes your blooms are shipped in to the craft paper that we include with tips and tricks can be recycled, they are actually made from recycled materials too (yay!). We know that not everyone has the space to recycle our boxes, as a result of this, we created our box recycling initiative. If you are based in the Lower Mainland or Vancouver Island, we would be more than happy to collect your box (unfortunately, we can't collect Calgary boxes just yet). All you need to do is leave your box or boxes at the drop off location on your next delivery day. Most of the boxes returned to us are in such good shape that we get to reuse them multiple times!
Why this is important to us;
- We want to promote reducing, reusing and recycling!
- Eco-friendly packaging reduces fewer carbon emissions.
- Sustainability is important to our customers, and we want them to have complete trust in us that we care just as much as they do. And that we are consistently taking steps towards becoming as environmentally friendly as possible.
- Using this type of packaging also helps to cut down on quality control issues. We have noticed a big drop in damaged flowers since wrapping the stems in craft paper.
3) Reduced Waste
Customers always place their orders at least a week in advance, this means we can minimize wasted flowers by purchasing exactly to order and only buying in-season stems. We are always taking steps to prevent any leftover blooms at the end of the week as our products are perishable. However, when we do have additional flowers, our florists will build bouquets that we hand deliver to local charities!
Why this is important to us;
- We don't want to contribute to the large amounts of waste already found in the flower industry.
- When flowers are wasted, so are the resources, space, time and energy that it took to grow them - a big no no!
*How To : Make The Most Of Your Stems*
- Dry Them
Pick out a few stems that you love and that look like they are still in an okay condition to dry! We find that roses always work really well. Once you have your stems picked out pick a well ventilated and dark room then hang them upside down. Leave them for roughly 2-3 weeks and voila... dried flowers that make great decor! - Hang Eucalyptus In The Shower
If you have eucalyptus in your bouquet, we have a treat for you! This incredible fresh and earthy scented stem is about to take your shower game up a level. We love tying up our eucalyptus up in the shower to create a spa-inspired steam.